Lock for doors.



W. R. BRENNAN.

LOOK FOR DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1914.

1,131,992, Patented Mar.16,1915.

Jay-i- WILLIAM ROWLEY BRENNAN,

0F HAWTHORN, NEAR AUSTRALIA. 3

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA,

LOCK non iooons.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Application filed July 14, 1914. SerialNo. 850,927.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RoWLnY BRENNAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at No. 12 .Riversdale road, Hawthorn, near Melbourne, in the State of Victoria, Australia, draftsman, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Improved Locks for Doors, of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improved lock or catch for doors and has been designed to meet the requirements of swing railway doors, motor car doors, household doors and the like in which the latch is held up automatically when open but on being closed either gently or slammed the latch drops and fastens the door.

The invention is particularly adapted as a mortise lock.

According to this invention the use of springs is entirely avoided and as all parts are simply and strongly made and easily adjusted the risk of jamming is reduced to a minimum. The automatic portion is simply constructed and the effort required to open a door with this look will be less than that with an existing spring catch.

The drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention comprise Figure 1 a vertical section through the lock. Fig. 2 a section through a door and frame showing the lock complete. Fig. 3 a side elevation and Fig. 4 a front elevation of the lock. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the strike plate. Fig. 6 is a side view thereof. Fig. 7 1s a front view of Fig. 3 with the front plate removed.

Referring to the drawings the latch 1 is pivoted on a stud 2 within the casing 3 of the lock and is adapted to drop by gravity so as to project through a slot 4 in the front plate 5 of said casing. At the front of said casing is a compartment 6 formed at the rear with a slot 7 through which the latch projects. Plate 5 constitutes the front of this compartment which projects on either side of the casing as illustrated in Fig. 2. An over balanced catch stop 8 provided at the top with a nib 9 is mounted at right angles to the latch on a pivot 10 in said compartment so as to normally tend to fall in direction of arrow Fig. 7. When the latch 1 is raised into unlocked position this catch stop falls underneath same and so supports it. The strike plate 11 usually fixed on the door frame is. formed with a slot 12 preferably fiared upwardly and it is provided on its face with an outwardly projecting stud l3 adapted to be fixed in either of the holes 1 1.1 1. Thesides of the, lock are formed with preferably flared recesses or openings 20 to permit entrance of the stud 13 of the plate 11. hen the door is closed the lower end of the catch stop 8 strikes the stud 13 thus causing the catch stop to swing on its pivot 10 in the direction indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 7 thus releasing the latch which drops by gravity into the slot 12 of plate 11 and locks the door.

To unlock the door the latch is raised so that it is wholly within the casing and the door opened to separate the stud and bottom of the catch stop when the latter falls forward and supports the latch as indicated in Figs. 1, t, and 7. The latch may be raised by any of the well known means commonly used as for instance by a lever 15 journaled in the casing and located beneath the latch, said lever having a square opening 16 through which a key or bar of a handle is inserted by means of which the lever is raised and likewise the latch. If desired a push rod 17 with a projecting knob 18 may be connected as at 19 to the rear end of the latch for raising the latter.

It will be evident that the invention may be used as a mortise or rim look as desired, the parts shown in Figs. 3 and 6 being used respectively on the door and frame or vice versa.

I claim 1. In a door look, a strike plate, a pivoted gravity latch adapted to fall into looking position to engage the strike plate, means to raise the latch into unlocking position, a pivoted overbalanced catch operated by gravity to engage the latter when raised, and means to swing the catch out of engagement with the latch to permit the latter to fall into locking position.

2. In a door look, a gravity operated latch, means to raise the latter, a pivoted overbalanced catch arranged at right angles to the latch and adapted to hold the latter raised, a strike plate adapted to receive the latch, and a projection on the strike plate arranged to engage the catch and swing the latter out of engagement with the latch.

3. In locks for doors, a casing having a slot in the face, a gravity latch pivoted Within said casing, means to raise said latch, a pivoted overbalanced catch stop disposed at right angles to said latch and adapted to support the latter'within the casing and a strike plate formed With a slot and provided with a projection against which the lower end of said stop catch is adapted to contact to permit said latch to drop and project into the slot in said strike plate.

4. In locks for doors, a casing having a slot in the face, a gravity latch pivoted Within said casing, means to raise said latch, a compartment at the front of said casing formed with a slot, a pivoted overbalanced catch stop in said compartment and disposed at right angles to said latch and adapted to support the latter within the casing, a recess in the side of said casing, a strike plate formed with a slot and provided with a projecting stud against Which the lower end of said stop catch is adapted to contact to permit said latch to drop and project into the slot in said strike plate.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM ROWLEY BRENNAN.

Vitnesses:

EDWARD N. WATERS, ARTHUR J. WATERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

